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The Sigma fp is the 'world’s smallest' full-frame mirrorless camera
Sigma is known for being extra. It's pulled off stunts like a super wide-angle version of its super wide-angle camera, experimented with peculiar shapes and introduced lenses that let you shoot macro from a distance. Now, the company has unveiled the Sigma fp, the world's smallest, lightest mirrorless digital camera with a full-frame sensor.
Samsung's faster, smaller DRAM chips are coming to your next PC
Samsung has built the smallest 8-gigabit DDR4 RAM chip ever using its second-generation 10-nanometer manufacturing tech, it said in a news release. The chips are 15 percent more energy efficient and run 10 percent faster than the last generation, launched just 20 months ago. Productivity for the chips is also up 30 percent, meaning that wafer throughput and yields will let it build more of the chips in the same time. That should make RAM for your computer cheaper and easier to find in the near future.
This is the world's smallest and happiest snowman
The holiday season gets bigger and more hectic every year -- and maybe you're looking for a smaller, more adorable way to celebrate. Here's one: the world's smallest snowman. This microscopic frosty was built by the nanofabrication lab at London's Western University. He's adorable, but you'll need an electron microscope to see him in person: according to the lab's Tumblr page, the snowman stands at just three microns tall, or about 0.003mm. For comparison, a human hair is about 75 microns thick (0.075mm).
Extreme closeup! IBM makes 'world's smallest movie' using atoms (video)
After taking a few shadowy pictures for the scientific world's paparazzi, the atom is now ready for its closeup. Today, a team of IBM scientists are bypassing the big screen to unveil what they call the "world's smallest movie." This atomic motion picture was created with the help of a two-ton IBM-made microscope that operates at a bone-chilling negative 268 degrees Celsius. This hardware was used to control a probe that pulled and arranged atoms for stop-motion shots used in the 242-frame film. A playful spin on microcomputing, the short was made by the same team of IBM eggheads who recently developed the world's smallest magnetic bit. Now that the atom's gone Hollywood, what's next, a molecular entourage?
SanDisk and Toshiba announce world's smallest NAND flash memory chips for tinier gadgets
20 nanometer manufacturing processes, you say? We say pshaw, be gone luddite. Sandisk and Toshiba just announced the latest product from their joint venture: a 19nm 64Gb (8GB) X2 memory chip; aka, the smallest NAND flash memory chip in the world. At least it will be when it hits production in the second half of the year. They are, however, sampling the monolithic chip this quarter in case you're interested in stacking a batch of 16 into an ultra-high density 128GB SSD. Anyone?
Sony outs world's first 16.41 megapixel cellphone sensor
Uh, wow, guess the megapixel race isn't over. Sony just announced the world's first 16.41 megapixel CMOS sensor for mobile phones putting today's 12 megapixel units to shame. The 1/2.8-inch back-illuminated Exmor R model IMX081PQ sensor packs an industry smallest 1.12μm unit cell size and is capable of shooting 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps. Sony claims to have solved some of the issues related to those incredibly small pixel sizes by implementing a unique formation of photo diodes to achieve a sensor with high resolution, high sensitivity, and low noise. Expect it to begin sampling in January 2011 for ¥2,500 (about $30) per or ¥12,000 (about $145) when packaged with a 10.5 x 10.5 x 7.9 mm IU081F autofocus lens module that ships in March -- prices that will come down dramatically when purchased in bulk. A second, 1/3.2-inch 8.13 megapixel IMX105PQ sensor with IU105F2 lens module (pictured on the right) will be out in April for a lot less.
Amex Digital MP-501 media player starts shipping in teeny-tiny packages September 10
Can't wait to get your hands on Amex Digital's tiny MP-501 media player? Good news, as it's apparently sent out emails to prospective buyers indicating units will start shipping September 10. In case you need a refresher, it weighs just 250 grams and slips into any pocket easily, while still playing AVI / MKV / MPEG-4 files of various codecs and containers from USB or SD cards in resolutions as high as 1080p, for just $49, plus $20 for shipping -- assuming you can find an order form on the company website, which we couldn't. [Thanks, RDSOLO]
SanDisk ships its smallest USB thumb drive, the diminutive Cruzer Blade
We suspect SanDisk would have run into some friction by proclaiming that its Cruzer Blade is the world's smallest USB flash drive, but it smartly chose to word things as its smallest in order to not draw attention from those other guys. No matter how you slice it, though, this little doohickey is awfully minuscule, being "about the size of a standard size paper clip and weighing approximately the same as a penny." It's tailor made to hang off of your existing keyring, and it's available in capacities ranging from 2GB to 16GB. As for prices? $14.99 to $77.99, and (just about) everywhere in between.
'Wink' USB flash drive: perfect for hockey moms, lipstick-laden pigs
Active Media Products isn't one to shy away from mildly ludicrous USB flash drive designs, but it may want to snag a lawyer on retainer for this one. Granted, there's at least a sliver of a chance that Sarah Palin was actually notified that her image would be used to market AMP's new "Wink" USB flash drive, but chances are she's being rudely introduced to the sobering truth just as we are. Hailed as the planet's smallest 16GB thumb drive, this waterproof slab of memory is also available in a few smaller sizes for those unconcerned with gaining political clout. It measures in at just 1.2- x 0.5- x 0.1-inches, or just marginally smaller than Little Diomede island (which you actually can see Russia from, amazingly enough). It's available now to inspire and encourage starting at $7.95 (2GB), though that 16 gigger we mentioned earlier will set you back $37.95. P.S. - We didn't Photoshop this image, this is seriously Active Media Products' pitch for this product.
Thanko Microsports MP3 player is small, really small
Thanko is a brand forever tied to crapgadgets. It can, however, surprise us occasionally as it has with its new Microsports MP3/WMA/WAV player in 2GB (¥4,980 / $55) or 4GB (¥5,980 / $66) models. Measuring 16×25×22mm / 8g, it's about the size and weight of an average Bluetooth headset. And while we've seen similar micro players strung from lanyards, this is the first we can recall with an integrated ear-bud -- the second bud attaches via USB-cable for stereo audio. Looks comfy, eh? %Gallery-73295% [Via Akihabara News]
Panasonic's HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10: nearly the world's lightest Full HD camcorders
"World's Lightest*," says so right in the Panasonic press release. What's that? It's a qualified statement? Oh we see it now, it's the world's lightest Full-HD AVCHD camcorder. Well, that'll make Sanyo's lawyers happy. Anyway, the new Pannys bring SD/SDHC card support, touch-screen control, intelligent auto scene selection and AF tracking along with Panasonic's optical image stabilization to keep the shake under control while zooming in at a 16x optical max. The TM10 differs from the SD10 in that it records to 40GB of internal storage before automatically switching to SDHC/SD cards of up to 32GB. The cameras also feature a 3 second Pre-Rec function that continuously pre-records content into an internal buffer which is then added to the beginning of the clip as soon as you hit record -- never miss a goal again. Pricing in the UK is set at £529.99 for the HDC-TM10 and £499.99 for the HDC-SD10 with June availability.[Via Pocket-lint]
Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module
The tiny HD hits keep coming today -- first we saw eASIC's $5 integrated H.264 codec chip, and now Sony's crowing about the new MCB1172 HD camera module it claims is the "world's smallest." There's some pretty impressive tech packed into that tiny package: you're looking at an 8.3 megapixel sensor that can shoot 720p/30 video with image stabilization, face detection, high-ISO mode, and 120fps slow motion. Not bad for a piece smaller than a quarter -- hopefully we'll see this thing pop up all over soon.
Sony HDR-TG5 makes world's smallest Full HD camcorder smaller, adds GPS
The problem with Sony's previous world's smallest pistol-grip Full HD camcorder -- the HDR-TG1 aka, the TG3E -- wasn't size, it was usability. So we're happy to hear that Sony's TG5 counts a tweaked UI among its updates. And although Sony doesn't say in the press release, the TG5's touch-panel looks far more sensitive (capacitive maybe?) than that of the previous generation's finger bender. The other improvements are GPS to geotag your media (assuming your software supports it), Navteq maps, improved image processing, smile shutter technology, and 16GB of built-in storage (up from 8GB) all riding inside a slightly smaller and lighter chassis. Other specs remain unchanged: 1920 x 1080 AVCHD video, 2.7-inch touchscreen display, and a 10x optically stabilized zoom exposing a 2.4 megapixel CMOS sensor. Expensive? Oh most definitely: $1,000 starting in May. Check the video after the break.[Via CNET]
Video: Z-Nano Mouse is world's smallest and most absurd
Even if we could verify the claim, what's the point? The world's smallest mouse is likely to be as useful as the world's smallest keyboard. The Z-Nano USB mouse measures 42 x 21 x 17.65-mm and, amazingly, includes itty bitty left- and right-click and up- and down-scroll buttons. Available now for $60. See it in action after the break. [Via BBGadgets]
Sony TG3E: world's smallest 1080i camcorder unboxed, sized-up with 720p champ
Get a load of what just arrived at the doorstep of our European HQ -- the world's smallest 1080i camcorder, Sony's TG3E. Otherwise known as the TG1 in the US, this pup is small and sturdy and definitely looks the part of a Full HD (as it's defined for camcorders) 1080i shooter. Hell, Sony somehow managed to turn that boxy design into something sexy to hold. However, Sanyo's 720p Xacti DMX-HD700 (in red) still trumps the TG3E in size and weight. Unfortunately, it gives up significant lines of resolution in the process and uses inferior materials to boot. We'll be back later with a full review of this pup as soon as we find a nice, tropical island which can pamper this beast in the luxury a $900 camcorder deserves. So until then, check the gallery over at Classic and call out in the comments with any questions you'd like us to tackle.
Toshiba to showcase "world's smallest HDTV camera" at NAB
Granted, Toshiba Imaging's IK-HD1 3CCD HDTV Camera may not matter much to the consumer as-is, but we're all about the progress. Ready to make its grand, er, wee entrance at NAB Show later this month, the aforementioned unit touts the planet's "smallest" HD camera head (1.6-inches; 2.3-ounces), which should give program producers in tight spots one less reason to not capture content in high-def. In that vein, Tosh even notes that its ability to capture at 1,920 x 1,080 at 30fps makes it "highly suitable for reality TV (you getting this, producers?), specialty broadcast, sports, news and commercials." We know, this totally opens the door for an HD version of Punk'd, but hey, you can't win 'em all.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Samsung announces world's thinnest 8 megapixel cellphone module
Measuring just 8.5-mm thin, you're looking at what Samsung claims to be the slimmest CMOS camera module of its kind. The 8 megapixel module is expected to supplant the 5 megapixel job found in todays top-end cameraphones sometime in the second half of the year. Fortunately, this isn't just a case of megapixel marketing as the module also features anti-shake, a 1-cm macro, and face tracking technology. It also packs a smile shutter feature to snap that picture just as soon as a smile, or vinegar, is detected.
Hands on with Olympus E-420 -- the world's smallest DSLR
There it is, the world's smallest DSLR -- the Olympus E-420 (left) -- snuggled up next to its slightly bigger E-410 bro. Note that the E-420 on display at CeBIT is a near-final, fully-functional engineering prototype. What more can we say, it feels great in hand and the space and weight savings are certainly welcome. However, without any images to compare the best we can do is ogle the gallery until the reviews roll in.%Gallery-17653%
Sharp develops "world's smallest" 1seg TV tuner
Do you ever wonder just how realistic all these coin / hand / White House-to-miniscule item comparison shots are? We certainly do, and while the ¥1 coin seen above could be the size of a frisbee for all we know (we jest, we jest), we suppose we'll believe Sharp when it says its latest 1seg tuner is indeed the world's smallest. The VA3A5JZ922 checks in at just 5.9- x 5.9- x 0.9-millimeters -- about 35-percent smaller than competitors -- and should cost around ¥20,000 ($185) when samples start shipping out next week. Don't get too excited just yet, however, as mass production isn't slated to get going until late September.[Via PMPToday]
Oculon's Hikari Pro920 might be the world's tiniest projector
On the lookout for portable projection? Sure, us too. That's why we were pleased to see these new Oculon Hikari Pro1440 and Pro920 (pictured) projectors land in our tips box this morning. The pair can project a 15- or 20-inch display from a distance of just 2-feet. The $399 Pro1440 LCoS model throws 250 lumens across a 20-inch, 800 x 600 pixel display from Composite or D-Sub15 RGB connected sources including game consoles, laptops, and portable media players. Things drop down to 25 lumens across a 15-inch, 640 x 480 pixel display for the $299 Pro920 which measures just 86 x 44 x 85-mm. "World's tiniest," as Oculon claims? Maybe. At least until TI and Microvision get their acts together. Pro1440 pictured after the break.
